On October 30, 2008, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao met in Astana with Parviz Davoodi, first vice president of Iran, which is an SCO observer, on the sidelines of the 7th prime ministers' meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

Wen spoke highly of the profound traditional friendship between the two peoples. The premier said China is willing to develop friendly cooperative cooperation with Iran in compliance with the purposes and principles of the UN charter and on the basis of the five principles of peaceful coexistence, which will not only bring benefits to the two peoples but also be conducive to regional peace and stability. China will continue to keep contact with Iran and conduct mutually beneficial cooperation with the country.

Davoodi congratulated China on the success of the Beijing Olympics and Paralympics. He said Iran-China relations are based on mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit, and that Iran hopes to enhance dialogue and cooperation with China in fields such as politics, trade and economy.

Davoodi outlined the progress of the Iranian nuclear issue, saying Iran is willing to solve the issue through negotiation.

Wen said China believes Iran, a contracting state of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, has the right to peaceful use of nuclear energy. Meanwhile, China calls for the maintenance of the international nuclear non-proliferation system, and thinks Iran's nuclear issue should be solved peacefully through dialogue and negotiation, Wen said. The Chinese premier expressed the hope that Iran will continue to show flexibility on the nuclear issue, actively address concerns of the international community, and work with all other parties concerned to restore negotiations on the issue as soon as possible. He said China will keep on playing a constructive role in promoting the appropriate settlement of the Iranian nuclear issue.